Personally, I don’t own a cell phone. That is not to say that I have never owned a cell phone, just that I don’t own one now. In fact, coming from the tech world and having (at the time) a boyfriend who worked in telecommunications, I adopted the cell phone early one, when they were large and clunky and practically needed their own suitcases to carry around.
Today things are different. Beside the expense, cell phones can pose a large danger to the environment, since so many are thrown into landfills. And while you may not be able to love without a cell phone the way I do, to be green, you may want to observe a few practices to help reduce the impact that your cell phones have on our planet.
There are many things that make up cell phones. There are several metals, such as gold, copper and silver. There are also toxic materials, such as lead, arsenic, zinc and plastic. The plastic casings alone can take thousands of years before they even begin to break down. Meanwhile those toxic chemicals are leaching into the land and water.
So, if you do own a cell phone, it is important to hold on to it as long as possible. Choose a simple model that won’t easily be replaced by the latest technology. Most people replace their phones every one to two years! If the phone still works and is supported by your service plan, then why replace it? Sometimes the new bells and whistles of newer models are hard to resist, but weren’t you pretty happy with what you have now, just a year or two ago?
And when it does comes time to replace that phone, make sure to do it responsibly. Check to see if the manufacturer or store will take the phone back and recycle it. Or find a good electronics recycling center to do the job.
You can read more blog posts by Mary Ann Romans here!
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